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tv   BBC News  BBC News  April 15, 2019 6:50pm-7:01pm BST

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the the from the restoration work. the power has just caved in. —— the tower. into the cathedral itself. that will be a huge complication and side of the building itself no doubt. that just happened side of the building itself no doubt. thatjust happened now. from my very eyes. did you see the start of the fire? hear any explosions? anything at the start that indicated this was happening? no. i didn't hear any explosion. i was working at the time. i have my back to the window. it felt like it was probably accidental, it was very hard to say. it may well have been most likely related now... explosions coming from the building at the top at this very moment, related to the fire. and there is a watering of heat
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coming andi and there is a watering of heat coming and i could fill a a0. —— i can feel of where i'm at. it felt like it started in and around the scaffolding. at the centre of the building. but these 0akes are incredibly old. and they are huge. huge 0akes structures. just going up like timber at the moment. we are just hearing the possibly the spire might have collapsed. we cannot see that. it has indeed collapsed. as i was talking to you, it collapsed. that is what i was remarking upon. it collapsed into the centre of notre dame itself. through the roof. a giant gaping hole it has created. a giant gaping hole it has created. a few minutes before the fire now reaches the bail tower. you can see the black smoke blooming from the front of that building now. just standing at the front, you would be
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able to see that. i'm standing side on andi able to see that. i'm standing side on and i can see a huge fire. this cathedral will be gutted. but you are cathedral will be gutted. but you a re clear cathedral will be gutted. but you are clear the building pass in the area are being evacuated and people area are being evacuated and people are being moved away. it is a danger to the whole area potentially now. yes. all of the surrounding areas have been completely evacuated and notre dame is on an island, that cuts the that direction and you end up cuts the that direction and you end up with the same right bank and the left bank. i'm standing on the left bank which is closest to the cathedral and the whole area has been closed off. a very sensible precaution at this point. you can feel the heat and hundreds of metres away. very accurate. now a helicopter in the air, a government
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oi’ helicopter in the air, a government or police helicopter or news helicopter, but the firemen have now started up again with the hoses on the right—hand side of the cathedral if you are looking at it. very ineffective. another cherry picker going up, so it will take them hours, if not half a day, looking at the rate at which they are going now. it will not be long before the roof has been entirely engulfed. he probably is already. —— it probably is. thank you forjoining us and giving us that the viewpoint and paris. with me as i do is correspondent lisa. what more do we know about what is going on and when you started? it started this afternoon and we are told that there has been scaffolding up and they have been taking some of the bronze
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works from it out of the to be renovated. and scaffolding was into many of the areas. and i have heard that the workers who were working there, they hadn't left before the fire started, we are hoping there are no injuries there. we here and now that the central spire has collapsed. that is the beautiful spire, it took 200 years to build. it isa spire, it took 200 years to build. it is a mediaeval gothic beautiful, a central building appears. and the heart of the parisian identity really. and much of france. it seems now that it will be completely gutted because the central spire, the spire itself has gone down. it is still a light and people are now being moved out of the area. we were hearing earlier it is much difficult to get any of the fire trucks right to get any of the fire trucks right
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to the scene because of the location of the fire. it is right by the bank and it is difficult. there are gardens around and it is difficult to get any of the fire services there. and people are being evacuated in buildings nearby now. everybody is just hoping that there are not any death and injuries. we know that this was a 12th century, i was in paris just know that this was a 12th century, i was in parisjust a know that this was a 12th century, i was in paris just a few weeks ago. massive cues was in paris just a few weeks ago. massive cues come was in paris just a few weeks ago. massive cues come accused so big we couldn't get in. i am now thinking this is so tragic to see the claims. everybody is absolutely not make it is heartbreaking. it is heartbreaking for us but imagine if you are french. it is a massive symbol of the whole of friends. not just paris. the most visited landmark in france. as you said, bill and 13 30 or a0 something... people will be watching this, why is
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this not possible. —— built in 1330. we can see the extent of the flames. it isa we can see the extent of the flames. it is a very built up area. it is busy and right by the river. yes. it is pinned between the river, the gardens, and there is notre dame. it is difficult for the firefighters to get there. and looking at the flames, the heat, the difficulty just getting close, because it is a massive building. it looks like it needs heavy water being dropped from the air force that we did hear from oui’ the air force that we did hear from our correspondent that they do not know as yet any kind of because of this, it is likely to be accidental but that is not completely 100% clear at all. all the efforts are trying to contain the flames, but clearly even with all of the efforts of parisian capital, it is proving very difficult. absolutely. we know the spire has collapsed. one of the key facets of the building.
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absolutely. there is a helicopter overhead now we were hearing and the fire trucks are getting there now for can hear the sirens a wild ago as we were looking at the pictures. we are hearing that also the roof frame is a being damaged and going up frame is a being damaged and going up inflames. frame is a being damaged and going up in flames. that is according to one of the authorities there at the cathedral. yes. very hard to look at the pictures and see. we know that president macron has cancelled his public a major policy speech tonight because of this. 0bviously, public a major policy speech tonight because of this. obviously, it is a massive tragedy for the whole of france. and every time we look for more information, he seems to be getting worse. yes. all we can say is that this started within the last hour. if you are just two and again, we can see the roof frame of notre dame is going up in flames, according to the notre dame
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cathedral spokesman. we have seen in the last few minutes that the spire has collapsed in a side but that we heard from an eyewitness that parks have been are breaking golf come a tremendous level of heat, and acrid, a smell of heat. —— breaking off at a smell of heat. —— breaking off at a two minute level. the police are wanting everybody to stay away. there is a risk of further collapse of that building of the area. it is normally a very popular monument with a lot of tourist and visitors around. that area right by the river seine, we can hear the alarms there, and of course, you can see those fla mes and of course, you can see those flames are burning through that 12th—century cathedral, notre dame, the flames behind those buildings and not clear how fast. how the firefighters will be able to get those under control. they are ripping through there. the more you look at the pictures, the more you wonder if there will be anything
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left. the walls are stone, so one would hope they will obviously survive, but we have also heard some of the statues have been removed because there was some renovation work going on, this scaffolding on the outside. the spire though has collapsed and notre dame. we are told that the spire has collapsed. and the frame of the roof has also been damaged and the fire is still ripping through notre dame cathedral. we are hearing that president macron has cancelled his planned speech due to what they are calling this terrible fire that paris mayor lamenting this terrible fire, president trump also tweeting his alarm and what is going on in the firefighters doing their best to contain those flames ripping through the cathedral. this landmark of
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france. more in the story on bbc news. to stay with us. —— do stay with us. you're watching beyond 100 days. matthew prices in london. i am in washington. we are going straight to paris where a major fire breaks out at the notredame cathedral in paris. a major operation is now under way to try and contain the blaze. 850 yea rs old 850 years old that took 200 years to build. this fire as far as we have known has been bred for the last couple of hours. density damage has been caused to one of the most famous monuments in the world. 13 million people visit notredame every year, many of you will have seen it and these are the scenes right now matthew that we are seeing
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